Mental Prison
by TacoQueen-Inc Updated
Summary: Don't overthink this one.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

 **So I decided to take a dark turn on a kids show... Sorry.**

 **I'm not sure what to rate this, because it contains some serious issues. You'll know when this is posted.**

 **On with the Story.**

As I walk into the school as a sophomore, I can't help but notice how much the school hasn't changed. I still see the same types of people sitting in the same places. The freshmen clustered around the cafeteria and the benches, while the athletes hang around the middle of the courtyard. Things really haven't changed. I've been out of town to visit some family over the summer, so I feel that I have changed personally. I just pray that one thing has stayed the same.

-Except for one thing, however. My friend group was nowhere to be found at the vending machines. At that moment, I check my phone. There are no notifications to be found; just the time (which is ticking quite slow.). Maybe they are lost, just like me?

I, for one, know who isn't lost. I can see Odd in the same place, so that is where I head towards. He doesn't see me immediately but tapping him out of his music sure did. Odd hugged me tighter than last year, so I think he was working out.

"I haven't seen you in forever!" He exclaimed. The people around us glanced toward our direction, but immediately ignored it. That is what I miss from my summer stay in New York, actually; people just mind their own business. They don't care what you do. People there only care on the fastest way from Point A to Point B.

"I miss you too, Odd." I say between breaths. His hug actually knocked the wind out of me. Smiling, I hand him a piece of paper with my schedule.

"Do we have any classes together?" I ask, as he pulls out a crumpled piece of paper.

"Hmm..." He thoroughly examines the two schedules, frowning when he gives mine back. "It seems that we don't."

I try to shrug it off, but he could clearly see that I was disappointed.

"But hey, we still might have lunch together you know."

With that I smile. I feel that everyone's favorite time of the day is lunch. Yet, I also see the group of people that have all of their friends in a different lunch. I've seen those people become very adaptable to the things around them, making new friends, and finding their purpose in high school.

Shaking the thought (literally) from my mind, I nudge Odd. "Let's go find everyone else." He nodded in response.

As we start looking around the various sections of the school, we seem to come across some acquaintances, so we just wave back at them. Looking back at my phone, it seems that I've only got four minutes left until my first class begins. Noticing this, I tell Odd that I will be late if we continue searching some other time.

Odd smiled and nodded. "Maybe we will all find each other at lunch!"

Smiling back, I enter a building. I hear the bell ring, so I start running. I was sure that I had more time to get to class. Did the seconds speed up?

But then I look at the clock again. I still have two more minutes until class starts. Was it some sort of warning bell? A lot of people around me did the same as me, but then quickly realized that this bell was a two minute warning bell. I then remember seeing that there was a new principal for our school. This was one of the things that might've been implemented.

Finally opening the door to my first period. I look around. There aren't that many people around me. I do see some familiar faces from some of the previous fine arts classes. Last year I really took things seriously with what I wanted to do. I wanted to make music, maybe own my own studio. It will be much more work than what I did before to become an athlete.

"Welcome back." The teacher announced to the fourteen kids in her class. "I'm going to take attendance, and then well start on this course; Music Theory." The title of this class seemed to have a tiny ring to it every time someone had said it. A certain note sounded at the end of the title, and they were all different. That'll be a project for me to complete at the end of the year.

Another project for me is to meet new people. I get pretty shy around other students I don't know too well, so I'm going to try to be closer to those around me.

"Hey, I haven't seen you in a while." I say to one of the music kids. His name was Daniel. He played very well as a celloist, but I had never expected him to be interested in Music Theory as well.

"It has been a while!" He exclaimed, warming up to me with a hug. I must be really good at creating new friends, because another person I've come to know about last year introduced themselves.

"Summer was very short this year." Said a violinist named Kristen. We hugged, and, looking at her as whole, I could tell that she had a major glow-up in the summer. Most of her acne had vanished, the glasses were replaced with contacts, and the braces were taken off. She looked very nice.

"That's debatable-" I reply, already having a headache for what I was about to say. "-I had to do two semesters of a class in the span of five weeks."

"That's rough." Daniel said, patting his hand gently on my shoulder. "At least this class will be much easier than that." I nodded in agreement. I have been really wanting to take this class for a while now. I hope that I didn't make a mistake.

Looking around once more, I start working on the first lesson given to me. All we have to do today is define the clef. I knew that by heart.

I have realized that I have Mrs. Frizzi for two periods. It's not that I mind, though. I've had her last year and being in her class was the only reason that I wanted to go to school. As the period went by, I also come to realize that I was placed in the first lunch. Some other people in my class have the same lunch as well, but I don't really know them that well. I keep reminding myself to warm up to others, but I've never been really good at finishing my goals.

I end up with my lunch first and sitting next to some people that I have grown close to last year; Sidara and Ramona. I have not found any one of my close friends, not even Yumi. She's usually here first. I assume that I am also the group of people that have all of their friends in a different lunch. I will become very adaptable to the things around myself, make new friends, and find my purpose in high school.

"How was the summer for you all?" I say through a mouthful of bland food. I find it a little weird that I am sitting inside the cafeteria. Last year, I sat outside.

"Meh, nothing to report from here." Said Sidara. She had big, wavy hair, hazel eyes. I find it quite odd that she has never dated a guy before.

"I did some travelling, but nothing too special." Raymond continued. He had a very bubbly personality, but I knew that he was also a bit of a scatterbrain. Sometimes that trait really annoys me. "What about you, did you do anything special?"

Again, I replied with the struggles of taking classes over the summer.

"At least your online course requirement is done." Assured Sidara, as I respond with a smile. She's right. Because I took a course now, that means I don't have to take it later.

Nothing else really seemed to have emphasis in the school day. Coming home, I check my phone once more. Why isn't anyone in the group chat saying anything?

I mean, should I start up something? I'm not usually the one to do it, though. As a result, I left someone else to do it. It was Odd who started to mention how we could not see each other as much due to the changes of classes. I added my two cents as well.

It was at this moment that I remembered why I didn't see Yumi that day. Or a few weeks, in that matter. She had told us a little after watching a movie that she wouldn't be coming until halfway into the semester at least. Her family did not want her going to school. Of course, I knew why, but I knew that was more of a personal matter, so I did not reveal it until she did. Writing in this even, it would be wrong to explain why she wasn't at school.

I haven't been able to see her since then either.

 **(FIN)**

 **Interesting enough? I hope so. There will probably be many chapters to this. The more that this story updates, the more serious it gets.**

 **This will be a little harder to write of course, but it won't get any happier.**

 **More stories and updates to come,**

 **Peace, my peoples~**


	2. Chapter 2

**Another Author's Note:**

 **Hope you liked the first chapter!**

 **As always, I will see you in the end of the chapter.**

 **On with the Story!**

 _Flashback:_

 _I mean, should I start up something? I'm not usually the one to do it, though. As a result, I left someone else to do it. It was Odd who started to mention how we could not see each other as much due to the changes of classes. I added my two cents as well._

 _It was at this moment that I remembered why I didn't see Yumi that day. Or a few weeks, in that matter. She had told us a little after watching a movie that she wouldn't be coming until halfway into the semester at least. Her family did not want her going to school. Of course, I knew why, but I knew that was more of a personal matter, so I did not reveal it until she did. Writing in this even, it would be wrong to explain why she wasn't at school._

 _I haven't been able to see her since then either._

I'm sorry that I have not written much here for the past few days. I have been too busy accomplishing my goals, and I am convinced that the teachers at Kadic enjoy watching kids suffer. As a result, there's a pile of papers on my work desk, and I had to buy a USB port so that I could keep all of my digital homework in once place. I would have never thought that I would have to buy one, yet here I am.

Since the first day, I have been becoming closer to the people in my classes. Music Theory has been one of my favorite classes. Not only is the content interesting to me, but Daniel and I have been becoming closer. I've learned that he's a huge gamer, and that he has a thing for alternative rock and classics. I say he has pretty good taste.

As for Kristen... it has been more like a silent game. We would sit next to each other all the time, but we would never talk. Or at least, not as much as friends would. I'm still working on it.

Then there's my Spanish class, which is right after Music Theory. I was really happy to see that my teacher (Mr. Jemol) was an actual teacher; he shows the class the who, what, when, where, and why of the content for Spanish grammar. The problem with his class is that he has to teach idiots who are only in the class for the easy A or for the requirements. Since I had taken Spanish over the summer, a lot of knowledge from the online class is actually being put to use.

And yes, I know; people don't expect me to take Spanish as a language course. Most people would think of me taking French or English Classes. I'm already fluent in those things; that's the problem. And yeah, I _could_ just go and get the easy grade for the year, but I've made a promise to push myself to do other things. Sounds weird right? Everyone thinks I'm lazy, but that it only true for the things I hate. Which is almost everything, unfortunately.

My friends from last year... it hits me that I haven't seen any of them except for Odd. Classes have really cut us off. No one ever responds in the chat. Our touch has really disappeared in the span of only days. I'm not really the type of person to change groups of friends like that. Even to this day I am friends with people from my first year in grade school.

So the question has to be asked; Why?

Yesterday, actually, was pretty eventful. I decided to have my best friends meet up at the factory. I felt that this decision will really help give us that bond that disappeared over vacation. To my surprise, only Odd and Aelita had shown up. The rest of them seemed to be busy, which I can understand. However, being back in the factory brought a feeling that I don't deal well with.

As Odd, Aelita and I descend to the main computer room, I notice the slight changes of my friends. Odd, for example, has gotten taller, and has somehow made his hairstyle more like himself. As for Aelita, she really hasn't changed much. Maybe her hair had gotten longer, but otherwise everything else about her didn't change.

It was also Aelita who started a conversation point. "I really hate that our friend group is changing." I could not agree with her more.

"Same here, Aelita." I reply. "But it's not because we hate each other. It's just because..." For a second, I couldn't really find a reason. We have done so much together as a group. But now, everyone is just doing their own thing, I assume.

"Well, I just think we need to have more events for each other, like watch a movie, or have a little gathering like last year." Odd suggested. "Remember when we went to my house? I honestly had one of my best days." Aelita and I had nodded in agreement.

The rest of that talk was pretty blurry. I don't really recall what we were talking about after this, but I can definitely say with confidence that Aelita, Odd and I bonded somewhat. It seemed that yesterday, we seemed to be talking for hours until our lungs couldn't muster anymore words. I remember leaving the factory that afternoon laughing at something Odd said.

Walking back to my dorm, I couldn't help but remind myself that Odd isn't my dorm roommate anymore. I have a dorm room all to myself. Yesterday, it looked pretty empty, but I put in a ton of my books and clothes in their respective spots around the room.

I also end up reminding myself that Yumi still isn't here. Again, it has only been a couple of days, but somehow through these days, I have felt as if my school life has completely flipped. I have new classes, but I also have a new start.

Today, I have grown much closer to Kristen over Music Theory. I have learned that the reason why she is in this class is because the elective she was assigned to was Spanish, and she did not want to do another year because she had already done two. Then, she saw that was teaching another Fine Arts class, so she had switched over. I'm really glad that she had, because I really want to be friends with her. We have talked way more today than the past week.

I have also come to realize that my writing class is right across from Yumi's writing class. Yumi had shown me a picture of her schedule on the first day of school, and I have only now come to realize that I was this close to being in a class with a friend from last year.

But it's okay. I'm fine with it.

Someday, I will be able to bond with my old friends again. I know I will.

 **(FIN)**

 **And that's the end of this chapter! I hope that you liked it. I felt a little weird writing this one, to me it felt that the plot went a little slower than I wanted but next chapter should work out smoothly because of it.**

 **You should read my other stories if you like what you see here. Or if you feel that this might be too dark after all.**

 **Peace, my peoples~**


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